BeTuitive: Corporate Blogging

The BI Marriage: Accuracy with Strategy

Posted on October 17, 2007 by Kevin G.

I was reading a great article today about setting up a solid BI system for mid-to-large sized companies.

Garry Garis, author of the article notes, “You do not get a second chance to be wrong and these companies know that their credibility is vital to sustaining customer relationships and ultimately, profitability.”The foundations of a BI system must be solid if anything is able to be built upon it. The accuracy of information is key.

Being able to effectively leverage information to make better business decisions is a powerful strategy if done correctly. Knowing where you get your information, how it is processed and to who it should go to is only half of the battle. Garis offers some key points on how to ensure you have a solid strategy with your accurate information.

October 17, 2007 in Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, company newsletter, company newsletter sample, Company newsletters, Company publication, Corporate Blogging, corporate magazine, Corporate newsletter, Corporate publications | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Submit Submit Submit

Posted on August 20, 2007 by Kevin G.

A news source that I often link to, DMNews, is in the final stages of accepting submissions for an Email Marketing Guide. If you have the chance, I would recommend taking a look at their site and see if there is anything you could submit.

August 20, 2007 in award winning blog, award winning design, award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Award winning publications, Brand enhancement, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, Business editorial, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, company blog, company magazine, company newsletter, company newsletter sample, Company newsletters, Company publication, Corporate Blogging | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Keep Blogging with These Seven Steps

Posted on August 13, 2007 by Kevin G.

Sometimes we all feel like blogging, but we hit a road block. Sometimes we want to write about a subject but we have a tough time solidifying a position. Other times, we write a great blog and then are stumped as to what could be written next round.

I found some great tips on how to develop, manage and communicate your blogging topics. In addition, Advice is also given on how to create and track your objectives. Enjoy.

August 13, 2007 in Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, Blogging Tools, Blogs, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, company blog, Corporate Blogging, publish, publish a journal, publish a rss, publish company, publish online, publish writing, publishing outsourcing, publishing solution, sample newsletter, self publish, Strategic Internet Marketing, Thought leadership newsletter, web publish, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Six Productivity Tips

Posted on August 02, 2007 by Kathryn Regina.

I love that Brazen Careerist. Really, I just love her title. But I think her article on productivity offers some helpful insights as well. If you want to get more done in less time--and who doesn't?--you should check it out. My favorite tip is "focus on outcome."

Six Productivity Tips to Put Time on Your Side

August 2, 2007 in award winning blog, Blogs, build credibility, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, company blog, company newsletter, Corporate Blogging, corporate magazine, Corporate publications, create newsletter, Custom publisher, Custom publishing, E-Marketing, e-newsletter, e-zine, Email Marketing, email service, ezine, ezine marketing, grow relationships, how to publish online, magazine design, magazine outsourcing, marketing newsletter, newsletter design | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

3 Keys to Cultivating a Successful Blog: Relevant, Consistent, Transparent

Posted on June 21, 2007 by Kevin G.

Ok, we get it. We (marketers, business owners, the general public) all know that blogs are great tools to use. They spread awareness, knowledge and ideas behind a name, brand, or identity to the world on a personal level. But it takes more effort than you think to cultivate a bussling active blog. In the pursuit of spreading my knowledge (or my two cents), here are my three qualities any successful blog should have:

1) Relevancy is Key

Successful bloggers don't throw everything at the wall to see what sticks – that's just lazy. If bloggers are able to pick topics that ring clear to their intended audience, it shows they get it. Show that you know what your audience is concerned about. Be an expert through research and sharing experiences that people can benefit from. A blog with relevant conent will spark engagement and enhance interaction.

2) Keep it Consistent

Consistency is key to developing readership. When you pick days to post (whether it be daily, weekly, or even monthly) stick to them. This shows that you care about the flow of your blog. Consider the way you write about topics, present media or comment on fellow bloggers' postings. A consistent blog is a reliable resource for your audience.

3) Maintain Transparency

Face it, your blog is open to readers all over the world. It is easy to get burned if done dishonestly. Savvy blog readers can see right through a fake and can make it a personal quest to expose the good, the bad, and the ugly. Make sincere posts with honest intent to connect with your audience on a personal level. Also, allow your readers to get in touch with you through email or be open to answer back on posts.

Here are some good tips to make a smashing start for your new blog. Now blog away!

June 21, 2007 in award winning blog, award winning design, Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, Blogging Tools, Blogs, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, Business relationships, company blog, Corporate Blogging, Custom publication, customer retention, Educating Clients, Educating Prospects, grow relationships, how to publish and promote online, how to publish online, marketing solutions, nurturing relationships, web publish, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Hitting Two Birds With One Stone With SEO

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Kevin G.

It appears that even Google and Yahoo’s search engines can be consolidated in one main service. The search engine, SearchBoth.com allows users to simultaneously search on the Google and Yahoo search engines on the same screen.

The interface is easy to work with and search results are easy to navigate through. Powered by Yellow Pages Corp., it seems to be the easiest solution to win leverage against the two internet powerhouses. Check it out.

June 13, 2007 in award winning blog, award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Business editorial, Business relationships, Corporate Blogging, create newsletter, custom newsletter, Custom publication, Customer Intuition, e-newsletter, Educating Clients, Educating Prospects, email marketing solution, email services, Newsletter Marketing, newsletter outsource solution, Newsletter ROI, Print newsletter | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Keep Your Company On Target: Top 3 Lessons Learned from the Target Corporation

Posted on May 31, 2007 by Kathryn Regina.

The Target Corporation has a loyal customer base whose enthusiasm has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon. From the pet name Tarzhay (a “French” pronunciation of Target) to the scores of shoppers professing their love for the red bull’s-eye, Target is a force to be reckoned with in the discount retail industry.

In her book On Target: How the World’s Hottest Retailer Hit a Bull’s-eye, author Laura Rowley expounds on Target’s business and marketing strategies. And although the book is retail-centric (and at times a bit promotional), I think it offers some valuable insight into what makes a business—any business—successful. The following are my top three lessons learned from the Target Corporation.

Lesson One: Take the best of both worlds

Die-hard Target shoppers will adamantly dispute the idea that Target is “just another discount store” like Walmart or Kmart. How has Target so effectively differentiated itself from its competitors? They did it by taking the best elements of a high-end department store--a clean well-lit sales floor, stylish products and friendly customer service--and tailoring those elements to fit a discount store.

“’Before I was a professor, I worked at a housewares distribution company which sold to Target,’ said Michael Levy, a professor of retailing at Babson College in Massachusetts and co-editor of the Journal of Retailing. ‘They always paid a lot of attention to detail. Their stores always looked a lot better than the discount store competition. Even though the shelves were stacked a little higher and the displays were not as slick as department stores, they looked more like department stores in those days than the sort of dark, dingy look of a discount store (On Target, p11).’”

Consider your chief competitors, and companies that provide high-end services in your industry. What are the most attractive elements of their offers, and how can you integrate those elements into your business in a realistic, manageable way? Take the best of both worlds and you’ll make your customers feel like they’ve hit the jackpot.

Lesson Two: Design is king

From the basics of product selection to larger decisions about its marketing campaigns, Target takes design very seriously.

Tupperware chairman and CEO Rick Goings: “I think they are looking for brands that really draw people into Target stores. If you compare them to some other retailers, they have a fairly narrow product line that they show in any category in Target, but it’s usually brands or product categories where there’s a panache to it, or a design element (On Target, p23).”

Following the iMac model of “show, don’t tell” Target ads and commercials are visually compelling, with very little text. The bulls-eye logo is so strongly branded that the Target name is usually not even included in advertisements.

“This is the ultimate emotional connection,” says Mark Gobe, founder of the branding and design firm Desgrippes Gobe Group, “when your message is so powerful and so unique that visual expressions can stand alone (On Target, p58).”

Lesson Three: Partner with people who are experts in their fields

The “do-it-yourself” method seems like a frugal choice for home owners, but it isn’t always the best financial decision for a business. So when Target decided to join the e-commerce market, it turned over its Web operations to Amazon.com.

“’I think [the Amazon deal] gives them an edge,’ said Cynthia Cohen of Strategic Mindshare. ‘You can create your own infrastructure for e-commerce, hire people, teach them—but that is expensive and time-consuming, versus going to somebody whose core competency is e-commerce. Amazon already has this knowledge—so [Target is] buying the knowledge—their dollars versus their time frame, their risk. This isn’t entirely risk-free, but Target is reducing risk by using knowledge from a company whose core competency is e-commerce (On Target, p76).’”

Whether you’re trying to break into e-commerce or start a custom publication, partnering with an expert can increase efficiency, reduce risk and optimize results while sparing your company the cost of internal time and resources.

Visit Laura Rowley.com

What's a tag?

May 31, 2007 in award winning blog, award winning design, blog publish, Blogs, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, business credibility, Business Marketing, Business relationships, Corporate Blogging, Customer Intuition, customer retention, E-Marketing, Email Marketing, email marketing solution, grow relationships, Marketing Communication, marketing solutions, nurturing relationships, online marketing, publish, Strategic Internet Marketing | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Obama Focuses Attention on Telemarketing and the FTC

Posted on May 23, 2007 by Kevin G.

It may not be the topic of global warming or the war in Iraq, but presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama, offered his concern on telemarketing to the elderly. The FTC and databases like Infousa.com are mentioned in his statement. Read the full article here.

May 23, 2007 in blog publish, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, Business editorial, Business relationships, Company publication, Corporate Blogging, create a newsletter, creating newsletter, Custom email, Custom publishing, Customizable publication, electronic newsletter, email marketing solution, email service, grow relationships | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Reinforcement and Challenge: The Components of Strong Branding

Posted on May 16, 2007 by Kevin G.

I have been thinking a lot about branding lately and came up with a couple ideas about it. Branding is all about the relationship a consumer has to a company and its products. This relationship is enhanced through new experiences, better quality, and improved reputation.

Often a relationship is strengthened by reinforcing the positive qualities. This is found in reward points for a certain amount of purchases, excellent customer service around trusted products, or improved stores or website to better serve customers.

Brands are also strengthened when they challenge their consumers into thinking differently about their product, service or company. Apple did it with computers and Starbucks did it with coffee. By challenging the consumers, they learn to refocus their view of a brand in an effort to improve the relationship.

These two commercials for BMW seem to do just that. Watch both and see which is more effective for you and how you see BMW as a brand.

May 16, 2007 in award winning design, Blogging Tools, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, bulk email marketing, business credibility, business magazine, Business relationships, CMO, Company publication, Corporate Blogging, Corporate newsletter, creating company newsletter, Creative emails, Custom publisher, Customer Intuition, Educating Clients, Educating Prospects, forbes magazine, grow relationships, magazine design, Strategic Internet Marketing | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Grass-rooted Publishing...by Tree

Posted on March 05, 2007 by Vinnie Lacey.

Glancing through the Chicago Tribune on my morning commute, I read a fascinating article about the tumultuous Darfur region in Sudan. Instead of the typical stories of genocide and rape, the article focused on a young woman from El Fasher (the capital of the North Darfur state) named Awatif Ahmed Isshag. Isshag began a handwritten monthly newsletter covering local events, arts and religion nearly 10 years ago, and found a colorful way to distribute her articles by pasting decorated pages to a large piece of wood and hanging the creation from a tree outside her parents' home. These days, the 24-year-old journalist's grass-roots periodical often confronts the often tragic circumstances in the region, with Isshag conducting all her own interviews and information gathering. Passersby eat it up, some traveling several miles to read her installments. Isshag faces pressing issues--threats to her safety, constant insecurity, the loss of relatives--but she bravely soldiers through it all. "Journalism," she says, "is a profession of risk."

I'll refrain from giving any ill-conceived comparisons to custom publishing, but it's interesting how the struggle to accumulate and disseminate important information can bind us across cultures. Isshag has found incredibly creative--and brave--means to deliver her message to the community who needs it. A community that has largely been without a voice, but where one courageous woman is carving out quite the readership.

If only every publication could take such risks. Catch up on Isshag's story here.

March 5, 2007 in audio publication, award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, CMO, company blog, company magazine, company newsletter, Company newsletters, Company publication, Corporate Blogging, corporate magazine, Corporate newsletter, create a newsletter | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30

BeTuitive

About BeTuitive

BeTuitive Newsletter

Syndicate BeTuitive

Featured Titles

Resources

Interesting People